Delving into architecture from coast to coast

Genaro Ambrosino’s gallery, first in Coral Gables, then in North Miami, was one of the must-stop galleries on the emerging Miami art scene. But one day, Ambrosino decided that the monthly process of setting up shows, and the monotony of it, was becoming more of a grind than fun, so he closed up shop.

Now, Ambrosino is back – in North Miami – but with a less structured gallery, one that will be flexible to both timing of shows, and to the presentations. Some may be more like “happenings” and be very short-term, some may stay up for months. Together with curator Lissette Garcia, they have formed what they have named General Audience Presents.

To kick off this new venture or adventure, the works of New York-based multidisciplinary artist Derrick Adams opened up on Sept. 27, and will run into November. Adams' collages can be fantastical, and often colorful, with references to pop cultural icons and super heroes. But they are also related to structure, and this show – the first solo outing for Adams here in Miami – is titled “Architectural Archetypes.”

While Ambrosino is bringing in an artist from elsewhere, Miami-based artists Roberto Behar and Rosario Marquardt are currently showing in San Francisco – these days their usually large, even room-sized sculptures – which are also frequently grounded in architecture – show up more often in other cities, in both museums and galleries. In the group show “Temporary Structures” at the San Francisco Art Institute, which includes such international art luminaries as Pawel Althamer, the duo has covered the outside walls in a colorful mural of repetitive, interlocking circles, creating a kaleidoscopic entryway.

Inside the actual entrance to the gallery space, they have set up a table decorated with colored flags, calling the entire installation “Watching the wheel go round and round (John Lennon).” Their explorations such as these, that interact with the actual architecture of a space, are what have given them a high-profile reputation. In this case, they have transformed the entrance “into a fantasy that echoes the architectural forms found in Lucio Costa and Oscar Neimeyer’s epic urban plan for Brasilia.” What we’ve come to expect from these two. And speaking of architecture, the gallery here faces an outdoor courtyard, from which you can sit and look out over San Francisco Bay and the rolling hills covered in the distinctive houses that are unique to this city – an awesome view for students and visitors to the institute, nestled up on a hilltop above North Beach.

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